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This summer, ESPNHS will sit down with some of the nation's elite players to break down their game, talk about the inevitable comparisons to college and pro players and get their take on who they pattern their game after.

Player: Matt Jones
School: DeSoto (Texas)
Position: Shooting Guard
Height/Weight: 6-4/180
ESPN 60: No. 22

Who is Matt Jones?
Rated the No. 9 shooting guard in the Class of 2013, Jones is a stone-cold assassin. His 3-point shot is already developed at an NCAA level, and he's capable of exploding at any moment. As a junior, he led DeSoto to the regional finals of the Class 5A state tournament, averaging 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Jones has been just as good during the summer season. Going against some of the most talented AAU teams in the country during Nike Elite Youth Basketball League play, Jones is averaging 17.7 points per game and hitting 48 percent of his 3-point attempts. Jones has committed to Duke, and he seems destined to continue the Blue Devils' tradition of lights-out shooting guards (Trajan Langdon, J.J. Redick, Jon Scheyer, Austin Rivers).

Scouting Report
According to ESPN RecruitingNation, Jones has the prototypical build for a shooting guard. He's athletic enough to make plays in the open floor and around the rim, but his calling card is his sweet jumper. Jones might be the purest shooter in the country, with consistent catch-and-shoot range out to 20 feet.

"He's an extremely respected shooter," says Scott Pospichal, his AAU coach with the Texas Titans. "Teams know not to leave him. We run him off screens, and he's good at the pull-up, too. He can really shoot the ball."

Most frequent comparisons: Ray Allen, J.J. Redick

ESPNHS Comparison: Gordon Hayward
Jones' range and size make observers think of classic snipers like Ray Allen and J.J. Redick, but we see his game resembling that of up-and-coming Utah Jazz star Gordon Hayward. There is a size difference, as Hayward is one of the NBA's taller shooting guards at 6-foot-8, but everything else lines up. While Allen and Redick rely on deft footwork to curl around screens and pop long jumpers, Jones (like Hayward) is more of a spot-up shooter with less elevation on his release.

Jones also has enough length, athleticism and quickness to occasionally jump into passing lanes and disrupt things defensively. Gordon makes a living by deflecting passes, sneaking in for offensive putbacks and drilling 3-pointers (38.6 percent for his career), and we can see Jones evolving into the same type of player.

"I like to do a little bit of everything," says Jones. "I take pride in my defense. I can shoot off the dribble, and I have a quick first step. I try to contribute any way I can."

Matt’s Comparison: Ray Allen
Jones has been hearing the Ray Allen comparisons for a long time, and he takes it as a compliment.

"A lot of people like to compare me to Ray Allen or J.J. Redick," he says. "I just feel blessed and grateful to be compared to great shooters like that. Ray Allen is one of the greatest of all-time, so that's an honor to be mentioned with him."

Jones says he is trying to get stronger over the summer, and he's also working on his ball handling. Allen was an underrated slasher in his prime, so Jones will need to continue tightening his handle if he wants to be the next "Jesus Shuttlesworth."

Mike Grimala covers high school sports for ESPNHS. Be sure to follow him on Twitter (@MGrimalaESPN).

Dallas Woodrow Wilson big man Zach Coleman officially selected Missouri as his destination for the fall of 2013.

The 6-foot-8 senior said the Tigers' move to the SEC played a big role in his decision.

"I like the style of play," Coleman said via text Monday. "I have a great relationship with the staff, and they are making the move to the SEC. A player like myself would thrive in that conference."

Coleman's coach, Patrick Washington, said Missouri recruited Coleman very well, making what can be a stressful process kind of fun.

"I think he enjoyed having those guys recruit him," Washington said. "They showed him how he would fit into what they were trying to do, especially with them going into the SEC. It should be a great situation for him."

To Washington, Coleman's commitment proved the power forward's dedication to his school work even more than his success on the hardwood.

Coleman averaged 14 points and 13 rebounds during his junior season, helping the Wildcats win the 12-4A championship en route to a regional quarterfinal appearance.

This summer, ESPNHS will sit down with some of the nation's elite players to break down their game, talk about the inevitable comparisons to college and pro players and get their take on who they pattern their game after.

Player: Julius Randle
School: Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas)
Position: Power forward
Height/weight: 6-9/225
ESPN 60: No. 2

Who is Julius Randle?

The left-handed combo forward has been one of the top players nationally in the 2013 class since middle school. Randle delivers as a high school player, leading Prestonwood to consecutive Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 5A state crowns. As a junior, he put his school in the national spotlight by leading the team to the title at the prestigious City of Palms Classic, where he earned MVP honors. For the season, the second team ESPNHS All-American averaged 21.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game while shooting 65.2 percent from the floor. Next season, Randle will have a good shot to become Texas' first Mr. Basketball USA selection since Rashard Lewis of Elsik (Houston) in 1998.

Scouting report

According to ESPN RecruitingNation, Randle is a pro in the making. He can drive going in either direction, has touch around the rim, but can also powerfully finish with contact. Randle has range, but is prone to being streaky from the outside. In a nutshell, he can dominate smaller players inside and is too athletic for post players to handle. When he is on, like he was during stretches of the 2011 Nike EYBL, Randle has the look of a top 10 to 15 prospect of the past decade.

Most frequent comparisons: Marvin Williams, Caron Butler, Billy Owens

ESPNHS comparison: Billy Owens

There are great similarities between Randle and the former Syracuse and Carlisle (Pa.) All-American who spent 10 years in the NBA. Owens, also proficient with his left-hand, was a top 5 prospect in 1988 and led his high school team to multiple state championships. Owens was powerfully built and a huge matchup problem on the high school and college level. He wasn't nearly as powerful as Randle, but high school players 25 years ago didn't have NBA-ready bodies nearly as often as they do today. What Owens did possess was an overall feel for the game that made teammates better and passing abilities that are rare for a 6-foot-8 player. Randle won't necessarily pick up those same traits if he doesn't already have them, but if he can learn to stay locked-in for a complete game instead of stretches, the sky is the limit.

Julius' comparison: LeBron James

Since Billy Owens was in his prime before Randle was born, naturally he doesn't really know anything about Carlisle's most famous athlete next to Jim Thorpe. Ever the student, Randle said he's "going to look him up to see what he's about."

Randle is a classic inside-out player who national scouts love because of his ability as an offensive threat across the entire floor, so he found it difficult to compare himself to one player. He does, however, have an affinity for the current Miami Heat star.

"I don't know if I can compare my game to just one player because I think I'm a mixture of players," Randle said. "On the perimeter, I use my speed, strength and handle sort of like LeBron to get where I want on the floor. I'm also able to make plays for my teammates."

Randle knows where his "money" is, too.

"In the post, I have moves also, so I would say I'm sort of like Amar'e Stoudemire or Zach Randolph, but more explosive."

The Prestonwood Christian standout is working hard to expand his game and incorporate some of the moves of his favorite player -- Kobe Bryant.

"Right now, I'm working on being a better defender and also my in-between game like pull-ups. So I watch a lot of Melo (Carmelo Anthony) and also my favorite player Kobe to see how they create space."

Ronnie Flores is a senior editor for ESPNHS. He can be reached at ronnie.flores@espn.com. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter: @RonFloresESPN

Marcus Smart's basketball-playing days at Flower Mound Marcus are done, but he hasn't stopped earning honors.

The Oklahoma State-bound senior guard was selected to the ESPNHS All-American first team Wednesday.

Smart, who led the Marauders to a second consecutive Class 5A state championship, had previously been named the Texas Gatorade Player of the Year and a McDonald's All-American.

Two area players from private school powers were named to the ESPNHS All-American second team: Plano Prestonwood Christian junior forward Julius Randle and Arlington Grace Prep senior center Isaiah Austin.

Randle helped Prestonwood win the TAPPS 5A state championship to cap a season during which the Lions won the prestigious City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.

Austin, a Baylor recruit, led Grace Prep to its second straight TAPPS 4A title and joined Smart at the McDonald's All-American game.

Find more on the ESPNHS All-American team.

Flower Mound Marcus sharpshooter Phil Forte won the U.S. Marines Boys’ 3-Point Championship, a national contest held over the weekend in Chicago.

The contest won by Forte was part of the American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, an event for high school seniors which will be broadcast at 3:30 p.m. CT Sunday on CBS.

Forte, an Oklahoma State recruit, was the MVP of the 2012 Class 5A state championship game last month, when Marcus beat Fort Bend Travis.

Marcus, by the way, finished at No. 5 in the final ESPNHS Powerade FAB 50 of the season.

Arlington Grace Prep star Isaiah Austin fell right into the rhythm of the 2012 McDonald’s All-American game with ease.

In what turned out to be a dunkfest from both squads, Austin flushed several put-back dunks as part of his 10 points and eight rebounds on the night, leading to a 106-102 victory for his West team.

The Baylor commit added two assists and one steal to his final line in 17 minutes of play and looked right at home in the Baylor-esque green and neon yellow West squad uniforms.

Austin came off the bench in the first wave of substitutions in the first half and began his scoring by gathering up a loose ball around the free throw line and hitting a fadeaway jumper.

On the other end of the spectrum was Flower Mound Marcus’ Marcus Smart, who didn’t hit a field goal on the night and finished with one point in 20 minutes.

However, he did have an impact in other areas, pulling down six rebounds and dishing out five assists, including one alley-oop lob to game MVP and No. 2 recruit Shabazz Muhammad out of Las Vegas.

Muhammad, who is still uncommitted, claimed the award with a 21-point, six-rebound performance.

The West squad jumped to a 21-point lead in the second half, but the East rallied to within four points. One last defensive stop, with both Austin and Smart on the bench, held off the East attack to secure the win.

Five area basketball players will be in the national spotlight tonight at the McDonald's All-American games in Chicago.

Flower Mound Marcus' Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State) and Arlington Grace Prep's Isaiah Austin (Baylor) are on the West team of the boys game, which tips off at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN and ESPN3.com.

Three area players are in the West team of the girls game, which starts at 6 p.m. CT on ESPNU and ESPN3.com: home-schooler Moriah Jefferson (Connecticut) of Glenn Heights, Irving MacArthur's Alexis Jones (Duke) and DeSoto's Jordan Jones (Texas A&M).

ESPN.com's recruiting and high school experts will be holding a live chat during the game.

Marcus Smart, who led Flower Mound Marcus to its second consecutive Class 5A state championship, has been named the 2011-12 Gatorade Texas Boys Basketball Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.

The award, issued in collaboration with ESPNHS, recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also academic achievement and exemplary character.

Smart, a senior, averaged 15.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks per game while leading Marcus to a 39-2 record. The McDonald’s All-American Game selection has signed a letter of intent to play for Oklahoma State.

Smart is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award, which will be handed out later this month.

Texas' basketball season is over, but parts of the country are still playing and ESPNHS is still updating the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings.

The Flower Mound Marcus boys maintained their No. 5 position after winning their second consecutive state title. Only two teams ahead of Marcus, No. 2 Findlay Prep (Nev.) and No. 4 Chester (Pa.), haven't completed their seasons. Findlay Prep beat Marcus earlier in the year.

Prestonwood Christian remained at No. 12 and fellow TAPPS power Arlington Grace Prep moved up two spots to No. 22.

South Grand Prairie, which lost to Marcus in a regional final, bounced up three spots to No. 46.

In the girls FAB 50, Class 5A champion Duncanville moved up four spots to No. 7 two weeks after completing its season. Irving MacArthur held the No. 18 spot, Dallas Lincoln dropped two spots to No. 42 and Plano West slipped a spot to No. 44.

Travis L. Brown and Damon Sayles look back at all the action last week at the UIL boys basketball state tournament.

Flower Mound Marcus guard Phil Forte, MVP of the Class 5A state championship game, was named to the UIL all-state tournament team.

Forte was joined on the 5A team by teammate Marcus Smart after the Marauders defended their state championship.

State champions Dallas Kimball and Argyle also each placed two players on the all-tournament teams.

Kimball's Torrey Henry and championship game MVP Shannon Lilly are on the 4A team. Argyle's Connor York and championship game MVP Clarke Overlander made the 3A team.

Here are the complete all-state tournament teams, as selected by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches:

AUSTIN, Texas -- Flower Mound Marcus guard Phil Forte left last season’s 5A state championship win with some unresolved business.

His 2010-11 season statistically finished well below par and was covered by the gigantic shadow of No. 12 recruit Marcus Smart.

That hunger of regret drove him to finish his senior season with a much better taste in his mouth.

Marcus’ senior big three -- Forte, Smart and Nick Banyard -- went out with a bang, taking the 5A state title for a second straight year in a 56-52 win over Fort Bend Travis on Saturday.

Forte leaves high school with no regrets, picking up the game’s MVP award with a game-high 24 points, 12 of which came from behind the arc. Forte shot 4-for-6 from 3-point range and 6-for-10 overall from the field.

“I wanted to get back and prove to everybody I’m a much better player than I showed last year,” Forte said.

“He did struggle last year,” Smart added, “and for him to come out and do what he did tonight, I’m just so happy for him.”

Almost as important as his long-distance performance, was his perfect, 8-for-8 shooting from the free throw line, including four at the end of the game.

“Our coaches and teammates have the most confidence in me,” Forte said. “I’ve just always loved shooting the pressure free throws. The coaches want to put the ball in my hands when there are pressure free throws on the line. My teammates did a great job of supporting, and I just stepped to the line and knocked them down.”

While Forte demonstrated his prowess on the offensive side of the court, the team showcased its traditionally strong defensive effort against Fort Bend Travis’ high-scoring twins, Andrew and Aaron Harrison.

Andrew Harrison was able to pick up 23 points on the night but was forced to earn the majority of them at the free throw line.

Marcus coach Danny Henderson said the game plan was simply to make it as hard as possible for them to score.

UIL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Boys brackets: 5A »   4A » Girls brackets: 5A »   4A » State tournament: Girls » Boys »

“It was going to take a team defensive effort, which is what our defense is anyway,” Henderson said. “My goodness, those are the two best guards we’ve ever faced. They are incredible. They’re going to be NBA players. I don’t have any doubt.”

Smart and Banyard also closed the books on their high school careers with key efforts in the win. Smart’s stat line proved his balance as an all-around player -- 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Banyard put up a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. He also stole the show with an alley-oop in the third quarter that electrified the Marcus crowd.

That trio, along with senior A.J. Luckey, put up an astounding 115-6 record over the last three years, including three trips to the 5A championship game.

To those players, those three years meant more than just wins, losses and gold medals.

“This is an incredible team,” Smart said. “We’re more than just a group of guys who wear the same jerseys. We’re actually a family, a brotherhood. We definitely stick to being one team.”

AUSTIN, Texas -- Dallas Kimball pulled out a come-from-behind 78-75 win over Houston Yates for its second straight 4A state championship.

Kimball trailed state nemesis Yates, 75-73 with just over twelve seconds left as forward Sheldon Yearwood held the ball at the free throw line.

Junior star recruit Keith Frazier, who had a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds, was on the floor. Last year’s 4A championship MVP Shannon Lilly, who had hit five 3-pointers as a part of a game-high 27 points, checked in.

Yearwood's pass went to junior Torrey Henry, who threw up a wide-open 3-point attempt.

“I had confidence in him,” Yearwood said.

The ball hadn’t finished spinning through the nylon before most of those in attendance at the Frank Erwin Center jumped to their feet.

Seconds later after a missed Yates 3-point try, Kimball (34-5) celebrated its 4^th boys state basketball championship, the second in as many years, over Yates (33-6).

“All year long this group of kids -- they're a young group -- but someone always found a way to step up,” Kimball coach Royce Johnson said. “That’s what we talked about before the game and at halftime and going into the fourth quarter -- someone was going to have to hit a big shot.”

Returning to the spotlight was Lilly, hitting clutch 3-pointers in the second half that led to his second MVP award in two years. His personal additions to the Kimball trophy case rank him among some of the most influential players in the storied Kimball basketball program, Johnson said.

That intense action from Lilly and the Knights wasn’t there throughout the entire game. Kimball began the game hesitant, which showed in the free throw column of the first-half score sheet.

Yates hit 17 of 21 from the stripe, counter to Kimball’s meager 4-for-7. Kimball settled for the outside shot, which gave it a 33.3 percent shooting percentage and a 36-30 deficit at the break.

Kimball ignited some passion in the second half, picking up its pace on offense. In turn, the Knights dominated the fast-break game, scoring 23 points in transition.

UIL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Boys brackets: 5A »   4A » Girls brackets: 5A »   4A » State tournament: Girls » Boys »

Ironically, it was perimeter shooting that would ultimately seal the game for Kimball.

Lilly began the Knights' comeback with a step-back 3-pointer with just under two minutes to play, which Johnson said “opened the door” for Kimball’s resurgence.

When the ball found Henry’s hands in the corner, Johnson first tried to shout a reminder to his player that Kimball trailed by only two.

“I was trying to remind him what the score was and tell him to drive. “I always tell my players to have confidence,” Johnson said. “As a coach, I’m going to tell you what I think, but don’t be afraid to make a play and I think that’s what he did. He locked in and when he let it go, I felt good because he didn’t hesitate. He was trying to win.”

That 3 exercised two demons that have haunted Kimball in the last ten years. It vindicated the Knights from a loss to Yates in the state finals in 2009. It also put Kimball on the winning side of a last-second victory, healing the emotional wounds inflicted on Johnson after losing the state championship in 2002 on a half-court prayer.

“Tonight we got over ’02. We hit the big shot and we’re over it," Johnson said.

With those shortcomings put to rest, Henry began a new chapter in the collective memory of Kimball basketball by burying one shot.

“It was history,” Johnson said.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Forgive Kimball head coach Royce “Snoop” Johnson. He admitted Saturday that he’s kept a decade-old secret.

Back in 2002, Johnson was on the sidelines when his Knights were robbed of a Class 5A championship when San Antonio Jay’s Chris Ross drained a half-court, buzzer-beating shot. Kimball lost, 54-53.

Johnson told reporters after winning last year’s Class 4A title that the 2002 game was out of his mind. Deep down, that loss has stayed with him, silently gnawing at his insides and making him constantly ask, “What if?”

Until Saturday.

Exactly 10 years and a day later, the Knights were on the positive end of a dagger heard around the Texas basketball world. Torrey Henry drained a 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining to take the lead from Houston Yates, and Kimball repeated as 4A champion with a 78-75, come-from-behind victory.

“Tonight,” Johnson said, “we got over ’02. We hit the big shot. We’re over it.”

There are plenty of words and phrases to describe Saturday’s impressive win. Vindication. Exorcising of past demons. Silencing harsh critics.

Shocking the world.

Kimball did all of that, and it got the job done against a Yates team that many felt was heavily favored. The Lions were averaging 100.8 points in their first six playoff games. They were back-to-back state champions in 2009 and 2010. Several of the seniors were sophomores on that last championship team.

Yates was a favorite to many. Johnson, however, didn’t feel that way.

“Before the game, I thought we were the favorite,” Johnson said. “Back in ’09, we were talking upset. [Saturday] before the game, we said if we lost, it was going to be an upset.

“All year long, this group of kids has always found a way to step up. That’s what we said start of the fourth. Someone has to make the big shot. They found a way to win and were not afraid to lose.”

What makes Kimball’s win that much more impressive is that the Knights were down five with 33 seconds left to play. Henry hit a 3-pointer to trim Yates’ lead to 75-73 with 29 seconds left. Following a missed free throw, Henry took a pass from Darian Hancock and drained a 20-footer in the corner -- right in front of the Kimball bench -- and hit the biggest shot of his basketball career.

“I knew I had to step in, shoot with confidence and follow through,” Henry said. “I knew I had God on my side, and I let it go.”

UIL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Boys brackets: 5A »   4A » Girls brackets: 5A »   4A » State tournament: Girls » Boys »

While Henry provided the game-turning moment, Shannon Lilly Jr. provided multiple big-game shots that led to Henry’s basket. Lilly scored nine of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, including the last two free throws of the night. It was Lilly’s play that not only spearheaded Kimball’s miraculous run but also earned him his second-consecutive state tournament game MVP award.

Lilly, who Johnson called “Mr. Big Shot,” said winning state was special, but defeating Yates was a bonus. He was a freshman when Kimball lost to Yates in the state-title game in 2009.
“I had to do it for my brothers that lost in ’09,” Lilly said. “I know they’re feeling good about it. I wanted to do it for them and the community.”

Kimball left Austin with tons of confidence and the opportunity to gloat -- even though the players chose not to after the game. Knowing that they were the two-time defending 4A champions allowed them to write their own tickets without saying a word.

For Johnson, knowing that the Jay game wouldn’t haunt him anymore made him smile that much brighter.

“We’re not really caught up in the back-to-back [talk],” he said. “I just know that the trophy’s still at home. They know we’re trying to be relevant every year. The kids meet the expectations. They don’t shy away from it.”

Damon Sayles covers Midlands recruiting for ESPN Recruiting. He can be reached at dsaylesespn@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DamonSayles

AUSTIN, Texas -- Defensive-minded Flower Mound Marcus coach Danny Henderson’s top priority in Saturday’s 5A state final is slowing the offensive production of Fort Bend Travis’ Harrison twins.

Henderson wouldn’t reveal his thoughts on defending Aaron and Andrew Harrision, a pair of 6-foot-5 guards.

“We’ve been working all week on all three teams that are down here, but we’ll make some decisions [Friday night] on how to guard them,” Henderson said after Marcus’ semifinal win Friday.

However, one of Marcus’ top defenders, Nick Banyard, said he wants a shot at one of the twins, and he will mostly likely have his wish granted.

“I told coach after the game that I would be ready to guard one of them,” Banyard said. “It doesn’t matter to me -- I just want to guard one of them.”

Banyard, a New Mexico signee, said he has guarded both Harrison twins in various AAU games, which he believes gives him an edge by “kind of knowing all their moves”.

Banyard said his best defense will be to get under their skin and try to frustrate them out of good play.

“I know what gets in their head," Banyard said. "If you get in their, head they get real frustrated real easily. You’ll probably see me talking a lot.”

Both Banyard and Marcus Smart agreed that Henderson would most likely use Banyard and A.J. Luckey to guard against the twins, mixing Smart into the mix sporadically throughout the game.

“Eventually I’ll be matched up with them, but I don’t think at the beginning because we have two great defenders with A.J. Luckey and Nick Banyard," Smart said.

Banyard matched up against Garland Naaman Forest’s 6-foot-11 center Prince Ibeh in Marcus’ state semifinal, holding him to six points and seven rebounds.

The players should get what they want in defensive matchups Saturday, but Smart knows the game is really a matchup the entire state has yearned to witness.

“Everyone has wanted to see Flower Mound Marcus versus Travis." Smart said, "and they got it.”